The present invention provides an aqueous electrolyte for use in rechargeable zinc-halide storage batteries that possesses improved stability and durability and improves zinc-halide battery performance. One aspect of the present invention provides an electrolyte for use in a secondary zinc bromine electrochemical cell comprising from about 30 wt % to about 40 wt % of ZnBr.sub.2 by weight of the electrolyte; from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of KBr; from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of KCl; and one or more quaternary ammonium agents, wherein the electrolyte comprises from about 0.5 wt % to about 10 wt % of the one or more quaternary ammonium agents.

A redox flow battery includes positive and negative electrodes respectfully located in half-cells separated by a porous silicon wafer separator formed by MEMS Technology. The first half cell and the second half cell each preferably include a plurality of dividers or barriers configured to create flow channels which introduce turbulence insuring the electrolytes are changing or mixing at surfaces of the electrodes and the membrane. Also disclosed is a solar energy generation and storage system which includes a photovoltaic cell and an electrochemical energy storage battery which share a common electrode. Also disclosed is a membrane-less redox flow electrical energy storage battery, having a cathode electrode; an anode electrode formed of a porous silicon substrate in which surfaces of the pores of the porous silicon substrate are coated at least in part with a metal silicide; and, an electrolyte.

This invention provides a system and a method for safe production of electrolyte at required concentration on site on demand where occasionally only water is needed to be filled up. The system includes two main units: a saturated electrolyte unit and a diluted electrolyte unit.

The present invention includes a method including providing an anode and a cathode; providing a desalination device operably coupled to establish an electrical potential between the anode and the cathode when the desalination device is operating; providing water containing dissolved solids; thereby establishing the electrical potential; reducing a salinity of the water by supplying the water to the desalination device; and generating electrical power by reducing the salinity of the water.

A zinc bromine electrochemical cell comprises an anode-side subassembly, an insulating porous separator, and a cathode-side subassembly. The anode-side subassembly comprises an anode current terminal, an anode current collector, an anode support, an anode sheet, and an anode insulating net. The cathode-side subassembly comprises a cathode insulating mesh, a cathode graphite felt, a cathode sheet, a cathode current collector, and a cathode current terminal. The anode-side subassembly and the cathode-side subassembly are separated by the insulating porous separator.

Nanoporous carbon-based scaffolds or structures, and specifically carbon aerogels and their manufacture and use thereof. Embodiments include a cathode material within a lithium-air battery, where the cathode is formed of a binder-free, monolithic, polyimide-derived carbon aerogel. The carbon aerogel includes pores that improve the oxygen transport properties of electrolyte solution and improve the formation of lithium peroxide along the surface and/or within the pores of the carbon aerogel. The cathode and underlying carbon aerogel provide optimal properties for use within the lithium-air battery.

A bipolar electrode comprising a cathode substrate loaded with a halogen complexing agent that has a structure of formula Q.sup.+(R.sup.A)(R.sup.B)(R.sup.C)(R.sup.D)X.sup.−, is disclosed. The bipolar electrode also comprises a bipolar electrode plate having a cathode surface and an anode surface, wherein the cathode surface opposes the anode surface. The cathode surface at least partially contacts the cathode substrate. An electrochemical cell and a battery stack comprising the bipolar electrode, and a process for manufacturing the bipolar electrode are also disclosed.

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electrode for a battery. The electrode including a current collector frame and an electrode substrate coupled to the current collector frame. An electrically conductive adhesive layer can be between the current collector frame and the electrode substrate and the electrically conductive adhesive layer can include a polymer binder and a conductive filler. The electrode substrate includes a porous material and active electrode material within the porous material. The porous material is copper foam, nickel foam, stainless steel foam, titanium foam, carbon felt, carbon cloth, or a carbon paper conductive polymer. The active electrode material includes one or more of manganese oxide, nickel oxide, vanadium oxide, titanium oxide, iron oxide, zinc metal, lead oxide, or lead.

Powders, electrodes, zinc-air batteries and corresponding methods are provided. Powders comprise perforated shells having a size of at least 100 nm and comprising openings smaller than 10 nm. The shells are electrically conductive and/or comprise an electrically conductive coating. Powders further comprise zinc and/or zinc oxide which resides at least partially within the shells. Methods comprise wetting the shells with a zinc solution to yield at least partial penetration of the zinc solution through the openings, and coating zinc internally in the shells by application of electric current to the shells. Upon electrode preparation from the powder, cell construction and cell operation, zinc is oxidized to provide energy and the shells retain formed Zn O therewith, providing sufficient volume for the associated expansion and maintaining thereby the mechanical stability and structure of the electrode—to enable many operation cycles of the rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

An article having a continuous network of zinc and a continuous network of void space interpenetrating the zinc network. The zinc network is a fused, monolithic structure. A method of: providing an emulsion having a zinc powder and a liquid phase; drying the emulsion to form a sponge; annealing and/or sintering the sponge to form an annealed and/or sintered sponge; heating the annealed and/or sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge having zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge; and electrochemically reducing the zinc oxide to form a zinc metal sponge.